The anchor prevents a ship from drifting away due to the water currents or tide. A popular misconception is that the anchor itself acts as the main weight to "secure" the ship in its position. On an anchoring run, the ship would lay the anchor together with a length of its iron cables on the seabed. The length to be released would depend on factors such as the depth of the water etc. So it is not the weight of the anchor, but the weight of the huge iron cables connected to the anchor that "secures" the ship.
The anchor's weight does play a role, but it is mainly used to grip or hook the iron cables to the seabed. A ship properly anchored would be held to a circular area, the radius defined by the length of the cable released. Also, occasionally, with strong currents, the ship could "drag anchor."
Source: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_does_an_anchor_work_on_a_ship
I love how we can learn a language through being interested in all sorts of subjects. I had never given the cable much thought until now... Thank you. SanneT
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading my writings and my attempting for writing articles, SanneT. In my opinion, first we have to have a passion about knowledge, knowing something new. If something is interesting for us, it more likely to diffuse into our brain.
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